This invention relates to an animated display device having illumination for projecting light to pass through a lens and a mask. The mask has sections of transparent and opaque character. In this invention such a mask is moved using motors such as linear actuator step motors using a microstep drive for quiet operation. Multiple images are printed on a translucent film in an interleaved line format. The control of the motor allows movement quickly or slow transitions between images by positioning the transparent opening in the mask over the line of the picture to show through.
If there are three pictures on the translucent film image, a first line of image #1 is present, then right above first line of image #2, then the first line of image #3, which is followed by the second line of image #1, etc. The mask permits the lines from one image at a time to show through.